Policy & Regulations

This channel includes news coverage of healthcare policy and regulations set by Congress, the states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and medical associations and societies.

AMA says Change Healthcare breach is crippling independent practices
A survey of physicians by the American Medical Association reveals that many practices are still losing revenue and struggling to make payroll as a result of the Change Healthcare hack.
ACLU sues North Carolina over illegal detention of mental health patients
A lawsuit filed in federal court claims the state is detaining mentally ill and disabled patients without due process or proper access to treatment.
What happened to cardiology's private practices?
Hospital employment models, reimbursement policies and private equity have all led to a massive reduction in the number of cardiologists working for a private practice, ACC President Cathie Biga, MSN, told Cardiovascular Business.
Psychiatric hospital sued for $150M over ‘encouraging’ fight between juveniles
A new lawsuit claims a 15-year-old girl was used as an enforcer of bad behavior at a psychiatric facility in Michigan, resulting in her severely beating a 10-year-old boy.
Biden Administration itemizes AI accomplishments to date
Half a year after President Biden officially directed federal agencies in the executive branch’s bailiwick to “seize the promise and manage the risks” of AI, the White House has posted a status report.

Ken Rosenfield, MD, Mass General Hospital, explains the impact wider CMS reimbursement for carotid artery stenting will have on patient stroke care and interventional cardiology. CAS

Q&A: Ken Rosenfield explains the impact of new reimbursement coverage for carotid stenting

Ken Rosenfield, MD, helped spearhead the recent Medicare policy change that made carotid stenting procedures available to more patients.

October 20, 2023

Physicians fight to end ban on doc-owned hospitals while AHA advocates for status quo

A proposal to end the moratorium on new POHs was among several policies discussed at a House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing Oct. 19.

October 19, 2023

An interactive diagram for the carotids and arteries of the brain for interventional reporting shown by Fujifilm at HIMSS 2023. Photo by Dave Fornell

CMS changes coverage policy for carotid stenting to make it more widely available

A group of interventional cardiologists, neurologists and vascular surgeons successfully petitioned Medicare to change its coverage determination for carotid stenting procedures.

October 18, 2023

Costco sued over sharing health data with Meta

Costco is accused of using the Meta Pixel tracker to share sensitive information about its customers with the social media giant.

October 11, 2023

Lab owner confesses to $359M fraud involving COVID tests

A married couple operating a lab in California admit to billing Medicare for unnecessary rapid COVID tests.

October 9, 2023

How poised is your state to handle a disaster with mass pediatric casualties?

Illinois, New Jersey and Tennessee are the only states in the country to mandate emergency preparedness for pediatric patients.

October 3, 2023

Masking, social distancing ‘do not reduce and may enhance’ subjective well-being in the pandemic-wary

Regardless of effectiveness or lack thereof, pandemic-response measures like masking and social distancing give many people a sense of being better off with them than without them.

September 28, 2023

Florida nurse convicted in $200M Medicare fraud scheme, could spend decades in prison

Elizabeth Hernandez signed thousands of orders for unnecessary genetic tests and orthotic braces for patients she had not even examined, according to the DOJ.

September 25, 2023

Around the web

AI in Healthcare

Biden Administration itemizes AI accomplishments to date

Half a year after President Biden officially directed federal agencies in the executive branch’s bailiwick to “seize the promise and manage the risks” of AI, the White House has posted a status report.

Cardiovascular Business

‘Concerning’ data connect industry payments to cardiologists with medical device use

U.S. physicians often receive payments from medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. New research in JAMA found a connection between receiving such payments and using specific devices—should the industry be concerned?

Cardiovascular Business

Cardiology groups share key update: ABMS seeking feedback on proposed Board of Cardiovascular Medicine

Five of the largest U.S. medical societies focused on cardiovascular health are one step closer to seeing their paradigm-shifting proposal become a reality.